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Van Halen Train Wreck Video


Anderton

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I compared this video to a bunch of other versions of Jump from the tour (on youtube) and there is NOT an error with the keyboard. It plays at the same pitch and tempo in every video.

 

The problem MUST be with Eddie's guitar. If it somehow got out of tune he can't fix it in the middle of a song (b/c of floyd rose). In every other video, the guitar is in tune with the keyboard (which doesn't change at all).

 

The only thing I can think of is that the gtr. got bumped really hard or something, or maybe the tech accidentally changed the tuner to something other than A440 and tuned the whole guitar to the wrong pitch.

 

What is beyond me is how blatantly obvious it sounds watching the video today, but when I was there at that concert I didn't notice any difference at all (nor did anyone else around me, for that matter)

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Roth impresses the hell out of me on this one. Not that I ever thought he was a great singer, but how many singers can take one of their song and sing it over a full step higher than they are used to on the spot? Phil Collins and many other have to intentionally transpose their tunes down in order to hit the notes on their reunion tours.


Way to go Dave!



I don't think it was even an entire semitone off. The keyboard track sounded somewhere around 50-60 cents sharp. Playing up even one fret would've made it no better and actually harder to play (capo time? :)), but playing up a couple half-steps would have been surreal. I would've thought he was just harmonizing, which would be mega-props.

Sadly, that wasn't the case...

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This is not that complicated

 

the keyboard is playing in C# and the guitar is not in any discernible key....

 

Try playing along with the keyboard (C#, no problem) and then try playing along with the guitar (can't do it).

 

The tuning on the guitar is off, that's the problem, end of story.

 

It has nothing to do with backing tracks or keyboards or anything like that.

 

For whatever reason Eddie didn't switch guitars. Remember he can't correct the tuning on stage (b/c of floyd rose) so he just basically tried to make it work.

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Yeah, but the song is usually in C... isn't it? I don't think the keys are even in C# - more like C#- (that's minus, not minor). Why would they play the song in C#? That's a horrible key for Jump.

 

 

I have heard that since the Hagar days they've always played it live in C# (I can't vouch for this because this is the only VH concert I've been too)... but apparently they do it live for some reason

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I can vouch for the guitar error.

I have a bud who is going to almost every show on this tour and is a VH archivist.

Every show (apparently even since the Hagar days) "Jump" is played in C# pitch.

Usually, Eddie has been using the old striped "Frankenstein" guitar on the song.

For whatever reason, Ed was handed the wrong guitar on this particular night, and while it was pretty boneheaded of him to not go get the correct guitar ,rather than attempt to retune the one he was wearing (sorry, EVH, but those fine-tuners aren't gonna get you up a half-step), it wasn't completely his fault.

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Isn't Eddie the one who years ago said he tunes to himself, and f- every one who tunes to A440?

I thought the thing was a mess. I think the Brothers VH deserve to fail at this based on what I know about them dumping M. Anthony (whom I am not a fan of) and the general creepiness of how they act now.....They are digitally removing M.A. from the old covers for Christ sake. He is a MAJOR part of their sound vocally and instrumentally, and they dumped the dude. Sorry. I am not on the VH bandwagon at all.

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Yeah...props to Dave for staying professional, for sure.

I know he would have stopped the whole show and talked {censored}, back in the day.:mad:

 

I almost forgot...one way to tell it wasn't the keyboard/track (don't know if its live, or not...I do know Alan Fitzgerald was their offstage 'boardist during a lot of the Hagar tours), is that Wolfie's bass is in pitch with the keys.

 

That leaves...you guessed it - the guitar as the culprit. :rawk:

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Should have just killed the synth track all together and pulled off an impromptu version. It would have made the show more special for the audience.

 

 

Absolutely. I would rather have Eddie play the keyboard part on his guitar anyway. That was just mortifying.

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